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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Gukchaebosang Memorial Park holds a bell-tolling ceremony on new year's eve every year. As one of the visual treats provided, photo zones equipped with LED lights are set in the park.

°Special Programs

-Firework display

-Making a new year's wish

-Flying wish balloons

°Date: Dec 31, 2013(Tue)

°Time: 21:30~

°Venue: Gukchaebosang Park, Jung-gu, Daegu

(Photos by Kim Sang-Tae, a civic journalist of Daegu)

○Sunrising Viewpoints for New Year's Day

Watching sunrise making a New-Year's wish is a must for many Koreans on New Year's day. They say that, on the new year's day in 2014, the sun will rise at 7:36 in the morning. Let's check out where the sunrise viewpoints are and what events will be held at each borough.

°Seo-gu District

-Venue: The heliport in mt. Waryong

-Date/Time: Jan 1, 2014(Wed)/ 06:40

-Events: 지신밟기(Jisinbalkki; a traditional play for the god of earth), Flying wish balloons, Free Teokguk

Friday, December 27, 2013

In eventual 2013, there were a variety of contents that uploaded on Touch Daegu blog. Today, I'm gathering the most popular content, impressive requests, questions and cover images of Touch Daegu that have been changed each season. Let's check the special records in 2013 together! >_<

[The Best Contents 3]

①All about intercity/express bus terminals in Daegu

In Daegu, the city is difficult to get intercity/express buses much more difficult, the explanation in English is necessary to foreign travelers. This content has held a position as the most popular one since August.

To see the post: http://globaldaegu.blogspot.kr/2013/08/living-all-about-intercityexpress-bus.html

① So I may order some Hosigi chicken tomorrow, but I've never ordered chicken via phone before. Any tips?

Though Korea has developed in food delivered, it's a big challenge to foreigners that ordering food by phone. Because, the ordering script was too hard to explain to English speakers, the question made Colorfuldaegu sweating out ^^;;

② My friend lost her cell Phone Galaxy Note 2 at the festival yesterday. Do you know the number to lost and found? Or the police station info? Or any information that may help us out?

A girl asked to Colorfuldaegu to help her friend who lost a fancy smartphone. Her situation was noticed on Facebook page of Colorfuldaegu, but not sure it was helpful... Hope they found the smartphone anyhow..

③ Do you know how I can try archery at Apsan Park? :) I really want to give it a go!

There were a few fans interested in archery more than I thought. Quite many people asked the information about archery club on the blog. Colorfuldaegu didn't know there were archery clubs in Daegu, but finally became a specialist of archery activity! Haha!

Thursday, December 26, 2013

When travelling to experience different
cultures it’s important to immerse yourself in that countries way of life and what
better way to do that in Korea than by playing some Korean drinking games.

As many westerners will already know Soju ,
Makgollie and Maekju (beer) are a way of life here in Korea. If you weren’t big
drinker before you came to Korea you probably are now.

So we here at the Colourful Daegu blog
thought we would share with you a few Korean drinking games to help you really
be a part of the Korean culture. (Also you will win a lot of brownie points
with your Korean friends and workmates).

｜Titanic

What you need:

.Shot glass

.Beer glass

.Beer

.Soju

Fill your beer glass up half way and slowly
add the shot glass so that it floats in the beer. Take turns to go around the
table and add a little bit of Soju into the shot glass. The person who adds the
Soju that tips the shot glass has to down the whole drink.

Be warned, Korean people will be pro’s at
this.

｜Higher or Lower

What you need:

A glass bottle of Soju

The lid (only person can see the lid)

Inside the lid of every bottle of Soju is a
number between 0 and 50. The leader with the lid must ask the first person to
guess the number. The leader will go around the table telling the group if the
number on the lid is higher or lower than the number they have guessed. Leaders be warned, if the people playing
manage to split the number the dealer must do a shot (as in all Korean drinking
games the shot is always poured by someone else on the table so be nice to your
friends).

｜The Lid Flick

What you need:

A bottle of Soju

The lid of the Soju bottle

Two shot glasses

If you have ever drunk Soju it’s likely
that you have already played this game at some point but just in case you have
somehow avoided this Korea tradition we included it anyway.

Open your Soju and wind the metal on the
lid so that it looks like a straight stick.

Everyone around the table takes turns
trying to flick the metal off of the lid.

You only get one touch of the lid per go so
make sure you don’t adjust it.

You go around the table flicking the lid.
Once you finally win and someone flicks the metal away the two people either
side of the winner will drink a shot. Once again its good to remember that the
winner will be pouring the two shots so be nice to everyone on the table.

Warning: The metal can flick off at a
surprisingly deadly speed so make sure to guard your eyes while flicking.

｜Numbers

What you need:

.A basic knowledge of the Korean numbers

.Soju

.Shot glasses

This game is not only traditional but
helpful for foreigners trying to learn Korean. If you can remember your numbers
after a few drinks then you will be well on your way to mastering Korean.

Sit in a circle.

Each person on the table is given a Korean
number (Hana, Du, Set, Net……)

The youngest person starts and shouts a
number. The person with that number will then shout someone else’s number. If
at any point someone forgets their number or speaks their number when it’s not
their turn then they drink.

The trick of the game is to say someone’s
number without looking at them. Looking at the person next to you when saying
someone else’s name is the perfect trick.

｜I Love You

What you need:

.A good sense of humour

.Drink of choice

This is a great game but it helps if
everyone speaks the same language. The aim of the game is to not laugh. The
first person must keep a straight face while you go around the circle saying
the sentence ‘I love you _____.’ You must fill in the blank with the funniest
answer you can think of. This is a great game if you know the people you are
playing with quite well. Anyone that laughs has to drink.

｜Chopsticks

What you need:

.Drink of choice

.Chopsticks

Everyone sits in a circle. You must all
have at least one chopstick. This makes it a great game to play when you are in
a Makgollie bar. The first person must ask a question or say a statement
referring to someone playing the game. Everyone points their chopsticks at the
person on the table they think the statement or question applies to the most.
That person must drink and say the next statement.

An example statement would be ‘The laziest
person on the table’.

｜Have or Have not

What you need:

.Drink of choice

This is very similar to the western game ‘I
have never’. Every one on the table sits with their hand out in front of them
as if ready to receive a high five. Each person takes a turn saying a statement
such as ‘I have not eaten a live octopus’ or ‘I have never been to Taiwan’. If
you have done the statement that the players say you must put down one of your
fingers. When all the fingers go down that person drinks. If you are hard core
drinkers you can take a sip every time a finger goes down and down your drink
when you lose all 5.

This is a great game to get to know people
(as long as you think everyone will be telling the truth). If anyone is caught
out lying, whether on purpose or by accident they have to do a shot.

｜Mando

What you need:

.Drink of choice

.Hands

In case you haven’t ever heard of Mando, it
is a delicious Korean food but for the purpose of this game it is a great
drinking game. Everyone puts their hands in the center of the circle and sings
a little song. With every beat of the song, people in the circle open or close
their hands (think hand puppets talking).

If it is your turn you must shout out a
number at the end of the song. At the same time everyone either opens or closes
their hands:

Maaaando, mando, maaando….mando,mando,
(shout a number)

Each person counts as 5 so if there are 3
people playing you can shout 5,10 or 15.

If you guess the number right then you can
sit out the round. The game keeps going until the last person has to drink all
of their drink. This is a silly and really fun game.

These are only a few of the games played in
Korea and they are great ways to get to know people better or a great part of
the Korean culture to take home with you. Just be warned. Those Korean drinks
are potent (the photography session for this article got messy) so play
responsibly or just make sure you are really good and win every game.

A big thank you to Lee Scott, Cassie
Travers and Gavin Bryne for donating their time and livers to the Colourful
Daegu Blog.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

In western countries, people usually spend
time with their family in the Christmas holidays though, Christmas day has been
considered an uproarious festival day in Korea. It’s presented that a variety
of performances, festivals and events, and the streets are overflowing with the
crowds.

The best way to enjoy Christmas day, of
course, is being with family. However, if things are not the way they should
be, why don’t you enjoy this Christmas riotously in Daegu? J

°Sightseeing:Provence light festival in
Chung-do

As the end of the year is almost upon us,
every street is filled with the sparkling lights. Even Chung-do, the quiet
countryside, turns the lights brighter than any other places and welcomes the
visitors around this time of year.

It has been getting fancier that the light
festival in a large scale with 11 themes contains to the Christmas theme.

-Opening Time

Weekdays/Sundays:
After sunset~23:00

Saturdays:
After sunset~23:30

-Tickets

Adults:
6,000won (Group: 5,000won per person)

Kids:
4,000won (Group: 3,000won per person)

-Address: 893-1 Samsin-ri, Hwayang-eup,
Chungdo-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do

°Performance:The musical ‘Christmas Carol’

‘Christmas Carol’, the representative story
of Christmas is adopted into a musical and presented at Daegu Culture Arts
Center in Christmas day.

-Performing Periods: Dec 20(Fri) – Dec 25,
2013(Wed)

-Showtime: 7:30(Dec 24) / 5:00 (Dec 25)

-Tickets: 15,000won(R seats) / 12,000won(S
seats)

-Venue: Palgong Hall, Daegu Culture Arts
Center

°Event:Christmas promotion at Daegu Art
Museum

If you still haven’t seen the Animamix
Biennale at Daegu Art Museum, this is your chance to see the exhibition. The
invitation tickets(2 tickets) will be presented to visitors who bring white
items(puppets, dolls, clothes, etc.) and hang them on the white Christmas tree.
The promotion is running until Christmas Eve. Besides, 25 visitors will draw
small prizes in the Christmas day. The event will be bolted up when 25 people
applied.

Friday, December 20, 2013

As it is known, 22 of December is the day that has the longest night of the year. Koreans have long been celebrating the day as 'Dong-ji' every year. Since the daylight hour is getting longer from this day, some ancient countries designated it as New Year's day.

In Korea, Dong-ji used to be celebrated with ancestral rites as 'the secondary new year's day'.

These days, however, Koreans eat a bowl of red bean porridge putting small round tteok as many as one's age. Koreans considered it making themselves one year older as the same way that a bowl of Ttekguk does now.

This idea was originated from the belief that red beans have a power of scaring away the ghosts which might bring misfortune the following year. Why don't you cook a bowl of red bean porridge for a dinner on the night of Dongji, 22 of December? :-)

[The Recipe of Red Bean Porridge]

-Ingredients(6 Serves)

1 cup sweet red beans (soaked for 2 hours)

3/4 cup rice (soaked for 30 minutes)

2 tsp salt

8 of white round tteok

In a pot, parboil beans for a few minutes and discard the water.

Add 8 cups of water and boil until beans are completely soft (2-3 hours).

Save about 2 cups of liquid and drain the rest of the beans into a strainer.

Add salt to beans and mash the beans in the strainer set on top of a bowl.

Discard skins in strainer.

Add reserved boiled liquid to mashed bean liquid.

Let the liquid stand undisturbed until bean solids settle.

Add rice and most of bean liquid (without bean solids) to a pot.

Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to simmer.

Cook about 8 minutes, or until rice is tender.

Add bean solids to the porridge in spoonfuls, stirring often so that it does not burn.

Serve with white round porridge if you want.

Serve hot bowls of porridge with sugar so that diners can adjust it to their own sweetness level (or salt for a savory porridge).

One of the official souvenir shops in Daegu is located in the south of Yangnyeongsi Herb Medical Cultural Center. As the shop is placed in Yakjeon alley, visitors can purchase souvenirs and herbal medical products at one place.

In particular, red ginseng is the most popular one in various forms; candies, chocolates and even soaps as well as roots. The shop also carries a variety of products like tomato wine(must be very unique!), post cards captured modern history alleys, and teddy bears wearing Hanbok, a Korean traditional costume.

Among those, the ones catching Colorfuldaegu's eyes were bracelets and key rings made of shoelaces to promote modern history alleys in Daegu. It is hawk-eyed Colorfuldaegu who never misses such colorful things ever. Too self praising? +_+

Anyway, why don't you stop by this lovely shop if you are downtown? What's better is that, on the third floor of the building, there's an exhibition hall for ceramics and Hanji where you can enjoy the beauty of Korean art craft. ;-)